Without a doubt, the digital age has made new vehicles more pleasurable to drive, but how do consumers feel about all these mind-blowing gizmos" A recent CarMax survey called Exploring Drivers? Car Technology Habits and Preferences showed that nearly 50 percent wish their current vehicle had more tech features. In addition, eight out of 10 people rank tech features as somewhat necessary when buying a new car, and people in their 20s and 30s were most likely to rank tech features as extremely important when making a purchasing decision.

Must-Have Features

CarMax was interested to know which particular tech features consumers desire in their next vehicle. The survey found that the top five must-have tech features were Bluetooth connectivity, power locks, power windows, rearview cameras, and power seats. Surprisingly, Apple CarPlay was near the bottom five, with only 12.3 percent looking for this feature in their next car.
The most desirable advanced safety feature was blind-spot monitoring, with 34.2 percent saying they want the system in their next vehicle. Lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control scored lower at 21.4 and 18.8 percent, respectively.

The survey then took a deeper dive into the tech features car owners were most likely to have already. Unsurprisingly, seven out of 10 had cars with cruise control, power windows, and power locks. In the CarMax survey, 35 percent said power windows are an indispensable feature, while 32 percent feel t...